A 4500-year record of large floods on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Jim E. O'Connor; Lisa L. Ely; Ellen E. Wohl; Lawrence E. Stevens; Theodore S. Melis; Vishwas S. Kale; Victor R. Baker

doi:10.1086/629644

A 4500-year record of large floods on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Jim E. O'Connor, Lisa L. Ely, Ellen E. Wohl, Lawrence E. Stevens, Theodore S. Melis, Vishwas S. Kale, Victor R. Baker

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

109 Scopus citations

Abstract

A sequence of flood deposits suggests at least 15 floods with peak discharges greater than 5500 m³sec^-1 over the last 4500 yr. Ten floods during the last 2000-2300 yr had discharges greater than 6800 m³sec^-1. One flood, 1600-1200 yr ago, had a discharge exceeding 14 000 m³sec^-1, a flow rate more than twice the largest gaged flood. This record of flooding is one of the longest for a major US river and, combined with the gaged record of twentieth century floods, allows determination of the frequency and history of large floods that have affected key aspects of Colorado River geomorphology. -from Authors

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1-9
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Geology
Volume	102
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/629644
State	Published - 1994

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geology

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10.1086/629644

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title = "A 4500-year record of large floods on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona",

abstract = "A sequence of flood deposits suggests at least 15 floods with peak discharges greater than 5500 m3sec-1 over the last 4500 yr. Ten floods during the last 2000-2300 yr had discharges greater than 6800 m3sec-1. One flood, 1600-1200 yr ago, had a discharge exceeding 14 000 m3sec-1, a flow rate more than twice the largest gaged flood. This record of flooding is one of the longest for a major US river and, combined with the gaged record of twentieth century floods, allows determination of the frequency and history of large floods that have affected key aspects of Colorado River geomorphology. -from Authors",

author = "O'Connor, {Jim E.} and Ely, {Lisa L.} and Wohl, {Ellen E.} and Stevens, {Lawrence E.} and Melis, {Theodore S.} and Kale, {Vishwas S.} and Baker, {Victor R.}",

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AU - O'Connor, Jim E.

AU - Ely, Lisa L.

AU - Wohl, Ellen E.

AU - Stevens, Lawrence E.

AU - Melis, Theodore S.

AU - Kale, Vishwas S.

AU - Baker, Victor R.

PY - 1994

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N2 - A sequence of flood deposits suggests at least 15 floods with peak discharges greater than 5500 m3sec-1 over the last 4500 yr. Ten floods during the last 2000-2300 yr had discharges greater than 6800 m3sec-1. One flood, 1600-1200 yr ago, had a discharge exceeding 14 000 m3sec-1, a flow rate more than twice the largest gaged flood. This record of flooding is one of the longest for a major US river and, combined with the gaged record of twentieth century floods, allows determination of the frequency and history of large floods that have affected key aspects of Colorado River geomorphology. -from Authors

AB - A sequence of flood deposits suggests at least 15 floods with peak discharges greater than 5500 m3sec-1 over the last 4500 yr. Ten floods during the last 2000-2300 yr had discharges greater than 6800 m3sec-1. One flood, 1600-1200 yr ago, had a discharge exceeding 14 000 m3sec-1, a flow rate more than twice the largest gaged flood. This record of flooding is one of the longest for a major US river and, combined with the gaged record of twentieth century floods, allows determination of the frequency and history of large floods that have affected key aspects of Colorado River geomorphology. -from Authors

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A 4500-year record of large floods on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

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